The importance of Networking.

Although we know the importance of networking in the author business we often have our heads down writing and miss opportunities to do it. I love the people part of writing (readers, book sellers, publishers, reviewers, bloggers, other authors...), but when I'm feeling the pressure of a deadline my vision of focus shifts to the page. In that part of the process we are alone.

And while the alone part can be daunting, critical and fun - networking is key to getting the word out about our work. With no traveling troubadours going from town to town sharing our wonderful stories, we have to do it ourselves. I have a decent voice, at least I used to, and could probably make up a song to sing about the stories I write - but that's not really what works these days. It's social media and the impressions (hopefully good ones) we make on the people we meet in our authoring travels.

Making a habit of hanging out at your favorite bookstore is so easy to do. Watermark Books & Cafe is one of my favorite places to be. They have tons of great books for sale, events for readers and authors, and a delightful cafe. A good cup of tea, a book, a cookie - OH BOY! Nothing better, in my humble opinion.

Writer workshops and conferences are a great way to meet and greet all the wonderful people associated with this profession. If funds are tight you can usually find one within driving distance of your home and probably someone to share a room with. (Check out Shawguides Writers Conferences to find one in your area.)

Some of my best writing buddies were a result of conference attendance over the years - sharing a spare room or hotel - and the fun and educational experience together. People who love writing are the coolest people, don't you agree? And no one understands the plight of a writer like another writer. It's also a great way to connect with publishers, agents, editors and book sellers.

But most of all, don't forget the readers. You'll find them anywhere and everywhere. For example: There's a boutique in the Old Town part of Wichita that I love. Shopping and buying gifts there is an adventure and doesn't hurt my growing earring collection any. It's called Lucinda's. I've made friends with the owner and she has a wonderful group of sales gals working for her. I love it so much that I put the store in my last novel (Patchwork Family). And guess what, my books are selling very well there!

Another favorite spot of mine is the library, where books and book lovers can always be found in abundance - so make it a point to donate copies of your work to your local library so they can share it with the world. Tell your friends and family to ask their local library to stock your books as well. My first novel Feisty Family Values can be found in Australia and thirty of the fifty states in the union.  Not a bad bit of networking.

Enjoy the journey, my friends.
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Born and raised in Kansas, Bonnie Tharp spent much of her formative years in her grandmother’s kitchen as official taste tester. Although not much of a chef herself, she enjoys good food and believes all the best discussions happen at the kitchen table.
Bonnie is the author of Patchwork Family, published in March 2014 by Belle Bridge Books. It’s the sequel to 2010’s Feisty Family Values, a novel of women’s contemporary fiction.

Interview with Nancy J. Cohen

Today our guest blogger is Nancy J. Cohen, an award-winning author who writes romance and mysteries. Her popular Bad Hair Day series features hairdresser Marla Shore, who solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Several titles in this series have made the IMBA bestseller list, while Nancy’s imaginative sci-fi romances have garnered rave reviews. Her latest book, and tenth in her mystery series, is Shear Murder from Five Star. Active in the writing community and a featured speaker at libraries and conferences, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets.

Joyce: Good morning, Nancy, and thanks for joining us here at Author Expressions. Let's get right to the questions. When did you start to write and how long did it take you to get published?

Nancy: Ever since I can remember, I’ve been writing. At first, it was poems and short stories. I began the submission process quite young, but it wasn’t until grad school that I decided to write a novel.

I bought a book called Structuring Your Novel and that’s how I learned. One of the most important things I did to boost my career was to join Romance Writers of America and attend conferences and monthly chapter meetings. I wrote six books before one sold. My first title, Circle of Light, won the HOLT Medallion Award. I switched to mysteries four books later when the bottom dropped out of the futuristic romance market. Thus began my Bad Hair Day mystery series featuring hairstylist Marla Shore, who lives in South Florida and solves crimes when she isn’t busy running her salon and dating Detective Dalton Vail.



Joyce: What genre or sub-genre do you write? Why did you choose this genre?

Nancy: I write humorous mysteries and sci-fi romance. I enjoy plotting the mysteries, figuring out the relationships among my characters, and incorporating Florida issues into my stories since this is where they take place. But I also love the tales of adventure I can spin when I write romance. Anything can happen in these stories that take place on other worlds, and although the focus is on the developing relationship between hero and heroine, the plots are full of political intrigue, suspense, and danger. My cozy mysteries focus on relationships, too, and the conflicts among the various suspects. Florida is a great setting with its rich and varied ecosystems, distinctive small towns, and diverse populace.

Joyce: What motivated you to write your latest book and what’s it about?

Nancy: Shear Murder is the tenth book in my Bad Hair Day mystery series. It’s the culmination of a personal journey for my hairstylist sleuth, Marla Shore. It’s about weddings and new beginnings. Just when Marla is planning her own nuptials, she gets caught up in another murder investigation. Marla is a bridesmaid at her friend Jill’s wedding when she discovers the matron of honor—the bride’s sister— dead under the cake table. She has a lot going on in her life, but when Jill pleads for her help in solving the case, Marla can’t refuse. It’s a fast-paced tale with humor, romance, and suspense as Marla races to find the killer before her wedding day arrives.

As for what inspired this story, I wanted to give my series a happy ending. My fans kept asking when the next Marla Shore mystery would be coming out, but my former publisher had cancelled the series. As the markets changed, I decided to finish this book to give readers the closure they deserved. So I really wrote it as a response to readers and in gratitude for their support. I hope they are pleased with Shear Murder. It was a delight to write, and I had fun bringing back all the secondary characters that we’ve grown to know and love. And now that I have a new publisher, it doesn’t have to be the end.

Joyce: Tell us about your other works and where readers can buy your books.

Nancy: The Bad Hair Day Mysteries have ten titles. Killer Knots and Perish by Pedicure are the most recent before Shear Murder. They can be found at any online bookstore in multiple formats. Silver Serenade, my latest sci-fi romance, can be bought directly from The Wild Rose Press or elsewhere online. This story is about a beautiful assassin and a desperate fugitive who join forces to catch a terrorist and prevent an intergalactic war. My backlist romance titles are at Backlist Ebooks, or are listed on my Amazon Author Page. This is your best site to locate all my works. And of course, check out Shear Murder.

Joyce: How do you write? Are you a pantser or a plotter? Is it your characters or your plot that influences you the most?

Nancy: I’m a plotter, most definitely. I do my character development up front, filling in their info on some tools I’ve developed, and then I’ll work on research and plotting. Once the story is in my head, I’ll write the entire synopsis. This acts as my writing guideline.

Joyce: What is your typical day like?

Nancy: I do my writing very early in the morning, taking exercise breaks, until around ten or so. Then I spend the rest of the day on marketing/promotion. That can consume all of a writer’s time. This is when I’m on a roll and the story is flowing. If not, the writing part may take longer. I set a daily quota of five pages a day or twenty-five pages a week. Once the book is done, I do several read-throughs for line editing, consistency, etc. Usually I have time free in the afternoons if I have plans with friends, but I’m fortunate to be able to write full-time.

Joyce: What has surprised you about being a published author?

Nancy: It surprises me how many people come up to me and say they have an idea for a novel. Either they are under the mistaken impression that I am dying to write it for them and split the millions we’ll make, or they want to know right off the bat how to get an agent and submit their masterpiece without being willing to do their homework.

Joyce: What one thing do you like most about writing? Least?

Nancy: I love feedback from fans. That’s what keeps me going. I save all the mail I get and it inspires me to keep writing. The least? All the marketing we have to do. It’s never enough, and it takes hours from the time we could spend writing.

Joyce: How do you do research for your books?

Nancy: Some of the research for my mysteries is based upon personal experience. Re the settings, I visit the towns in my stories and take detailed notes and photos. I ask a retired police detective to verify my crime related facts and have attended Citizens Police Academy. I’ve visited beauty schools, trade shows, salons, and more to learn about the hairstyling profession. Probably one of the most interesting experiences was at the Russian shvitz, where I ran around in a swimsuit with my notebook and camera under my towel. I’ve visited a biohazard waste disposal facility, an aquaculture center where they breed tilapia, and joined a fitness club, all in the name of research.

Joyce: What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Nancy: Reading, outlet shopping, fine dining, cruising, cooking.

Joyce: What advice would you give aspiring writers today?

Nancy: Follow the 3 P’s: Practice, Professionalism, and Perseverance. Know the marketplace. Join your professional writers organizations and attend conferences and workshops. Networking is crucial in this business, and writing is foremost a business these days. It’s not enough to write a good book. You have to be market savvy, establish yourself in the social networks, and meet as many people in the industry as you can.

Joyce: What will be your next project?

Nancy: My next book will start a new paranormal romance series based on Norse mythology. Warrior Prince is book one in The Drift Lords series. I've written three books so far in this universe, and I'm eager to share these stories with readers. After I get this project going, I’ll turn my attention to another mystery.

Thank you so much for inviting me to appear on your site.

Joyce: Thank you for joining us here on Author Expressions, Nancy. Come back any time.

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Shear Murder

Who knew weddings could be murder? Hairstylist Marla Shore is weeks away from becoming a bride herself when she walks down the aisle as a bridesmaid at her friend Jill’s ceremony. Things take a turn for the worse when the matron of honor ends up dead, the cake knife in her chest. Now what will they use to cut the cake?

Watch the Book Trailer

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Follow Nancy on her Social Networks:

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Leave a comment during Nancy’s blog tour in January and enter to win a set of Paua shell jewelry and a signed copy of Shear Murder.

Book Promotion and Libraries

Promoting to Libraries: Part 2

by Jacqueline Seewald

The first part of this discussion appeared on Jeffrey Marks’ blog site Murder Must Advertise, September 23, 2011. At that time, I suggested that authors consider promoting their books, whether fiction or nonfiction, at libraries. Some libraries will pay writers to come and speak, others will at least provide writers with exposure to the reading public. Not all libraries welcome authors but there are many that do. As a former librarian and teacher, I can testify to the fact that authors are welcome to provide an event at many libraries. Books are an important component of what the library has to offer. Authors are respected by most librarians.

If you are a relatively unknown writer, try to get a local newspaper to do a story on you before your library appearance. Also, if you’re not Nora Roberts or Mary Higgins Clark, don’t expect people to come in droves just because you announce a book signing. Think in terms of what kind of event you can provide that library patrons will enjoy and appreciate.

On October 6th I presented an event at the Fort Lee, NJ Library entitled “We Can All Be Writers.” It was not just be a talk but a happening—an interactive experience for both attendees and myself. I provided writing exercises that we could do together and discuss.
I’ll also discussed sources of inspiration for aspiring writers as well as library resources for writers. In short, I was offering information of value to patrons.

I believe that not only can everyone be a writer but should be a writer. By this I do not necessarily mean that they should strive for publication. There is such a thing as writing simply for our own self-expression and self-satisfaction. There is also writing to leave a written and historical record for our families.

My program lasted two hours. Fifteen people showed up who were eager to participate. When I previously did this program in Central New Jersey, twenty-five people were present and actively participated. However, fifteen was a comfortable group to work with and they were very enthusiastic. I also had help earlier in the week from the library coordinator who turned my overhead transparencies into a Power Point presentation.

What’s in it for you, the author? Well, the library may or may not be able to pay you to speak but at least you won’t be paying a fee. Doing an event will provide you with publicity. You can ask the local newspaper to cover it and/or get it placed on their events calendar in advance. Hopefully, library patrons may want to either borrow some of your novels from the library or purchase them from you. At the very least, the library will buy your book. In my case, I offered some of my novels at a heavily discounted price and had the librarian take the money because I donated any money earned from the sale of my books the Friends of the Library so they can continue to sponsor more events. It was my way of giving back to the community.

What is your opinion of authors doing events, talks or panel discussions at libraries? Have you participated in any library events? If so, how has it worked out? Will you consider doing it in the future?

Working with Libraries

I have a long-standing love affair with libraries. To me, it’s the place where taxpayers get the biggest bang for the buck. Most library cards are free, and you can check out a whole stack of books at the same time. But books are not the biggest jewel in the setting. Reference librarians, I have come to believe, know everything, or at least where to find it. I’ve used the virtual chat at Ask a Librarian to get the date of a medieval royal wedding, and this after I combed the internet for anything even remotely connected to the event. Reference librarians have friends in high places. They can connect you with an expert in the field of astronomy, Icelandic literature, and Viking museums. I am the first to admit that I could not have written my upcoming historical, The Tapestry Shop, without serious help from local librarians. They found me books about The Cold Faire in Troyes, France. They located an essay on 13th century travel, and even talked a university into lending a very early copy of a medieval play written in Old French. No, I didn’t translate it, but a French teacher I know did.
Our libraries participate in NaNoWriMo, the annual speed writing challenge. The librarians ask local authors to give kick-off events, which gives us a chance to show off our books.
At a recent conference, someone asked where they could find one of my books. “The library,” I said. The reader looked surprised and told me she had never heard that from an author before. That makes me wonder. Why would any author not want to send readers to a library to get their books? I’ve had people tell me they found my book in a library, checked it out, and recommended it to their friends.
Our library has author guests from time to time. In November, the local libraries are having an Author Recognition day. It should draw a lot of readers.
Inter-library loans are priceless. You can find almost any book in print and ask to get it from anywhere in your region. My Florida library gets me books from libraries in other states and they have an online data base of searchable Public Domain books. So next time you go in to check out a book, smile at your reference librarian. Trust me—there’s no better friend to have.